Toronto Van Attack: Travel Insurance Coverage and Recent Traveler Behavior Explained

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Apr 24, 2018, 03:38 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Canada is a top destination for United States travelers but many travelers may be on edge after a man drove a rental van and killed 10 pedestrians and injured at least 15 others in Toronto. Canadian authorities are calling the act deliberate but have not classified it as terrorism. Travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth, breaks down traveler behavior for trips to Canada and explains what options travelers have if they're concerned about traveling to Canada after the Toronto van attack.

Recent Concern for Terrorism Coverage Low
Most travel insurance policies include Terrorism coverage which allows a traveler to cancel or end their trip early in the event of an act of terror. However, despite a 34% increase in travelers purchasing travel insurance for trips to Canada, the number of travelers specifically searching for Terrorism coverage has decreased by 27% compared to this time last year, suggesting travelers consider Canada to be a safe and peaceful country that would not require the Terrorism coverage.

Terrorism Benefit Explained
Travel insurance is always available for future trips but travelers who want to cancel their trip to Canada can no longer buy a policy with cancellation coverage for the van attack. Any policies purchased after the attack happened on April 23rd will not provide coverage for this event.

While it is still unclear if it was an act of terrorism, if the U.S. Department of State declares it terrorism, travelers who purchased a policy before the attack happened may be able to cancel or end their trip in Canada early. Additionally, in order to have coverage, many policies state that travelers must be traveling within a certain distance from where the attack happened and within a certain amount of time from when the attack occurred.

Cancel For Any Reason Coverage Explained
Travelers who purchased policies before April 23rd with the added Cancel For Any Reason coverage, can cancel their upcoming trip to Canada and receive a partial refund of their trip costs. This time-sensitive benefit allows travelers to cancel their trip without giving any reason. While this benefit can be more expensive and only refunds travelers up to 75% of their costs, it is the best option for those who are nervous to travel.

Squaremouth created the Toronto Van Attack Travel Insurance Information Center to explain coverage for the attack. This page is regularly updated by Squaremouth's travel insurance experts, and includes answers to frequently asked questions and official statements from providers.

ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH

Squaremouth compares travel insurance policies from every major travel insurance provider in the United States. Using Squaremouth's comparison engine and third-party customer reviews, travelers can research and compare travel insurance policies side-by-side. More information can be found at www.squaremouth.com

Available Topic Expert:
Carolyn Leckie
[email protected]
727-260-5012

SOURCE Squaremouth